Stanton MacDonald-Wright’s Sho Kannon sold for $7,040 at Doyle’s 20th Century Abstraction/Latin American Art auction on March 13, 2024 in New York City. MacDonald-Wright grew up in Santa Monica, Calif., where his father fostered his artistic development by enrolling him in private art lessons. After a move to Paris and a brief stint in New York, where his art didn’t quite fetch the sales or acclaim that he had hoped for, Macdonald-Wright returned to California.
During his time in Paris, Macdonald-Wright met fellow American artist Morgan Russell, with whom he founded Synchronism, an abstract style of painting that analogized color to music, which was the first American avant-garde movement to receive international attention. He became known for this style of modern, colorful paintings and murals. As regional head of the federal Works Progress Administration, he also oversaw the creation of many other Southern California murals in addition to his own. After becoming interested in Japanese art, Macdonald-Wright incorporated elements of Japanese culture with his signature colorful style (our cover image is one example of this period of his work).
Macdonald-Wright’s influence and work in Southern California led the executor of his estate to ensure that his works were equally distributed among various institutions in the region, including the colleges where he taught. For more on the role of an executor and trustee, check out this month’s Committee Report on Fiduciary Professions.
Some of our other favorites, from Doyle’s 20th Century Abstraction/Latin American Art auction on March 13, 2024 in New York City, appear throughout the issue.